Safety-valve-testing gag.



E. B. cfio'c'KEn.

SAFETY VALVE TESTING GAG.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7, I918.

Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

UNITED STATES PATEN OFFICE.

ERNEST B. GROCKER, or BRIDGEPORT, CCNNECTICUT, Ass'ICNon To HE ASHCROFT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 013 CONNECTICUT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST B. CROCKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have'made a certain new and useful Invention in Safety-Valve--.

Testing Gag, ofwhich the following is a specification. V

This invention relates to safety valve testing gags.

The object a structure which is simple,

of the invention is to provide employed in connection with boilers or other devices upon their seats, while the bollers or other device to which the safety or other a safety valve testing gag structure embodying the principles of my invention.

' Fig. 2 is a view in plan of the upper end of the structure shown 1n Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a broken detail view in section showing a slightly modified arrangement embodying the principles of. my invention.

It is customary to retain safety and other.

valves yieldingly upon their seats by means of coiled springs. Where such valves are employed in connection with boilers, pressure tanks, or other devices within which pressure is developed, it is the practice to test the boiler, pressure tank, or the like forinternal pressure from time to time.

During such tests, it is necessary that the safety or other valves referred to employed in connection with the boiler tank or the like be retained solidly upon their seats While the internal pressure test of the boiler or tank 1s being made.

pressure test for the reason that the tension- Specification of Letters Patent.

sturdy and ef ficient for retaining safety and other valves Where the valve is yieldingly retained by a spring upon its seat,

SAFETY-VALVE-TESTING GAG.

objections, I propose to employ means independent'of the valve spring for solidly-retaining the valve seated during the pressure test. of the boiler or tank, to which thetest is to be applied.

'In carrying out my invention, I employ 'a valve testing gaghaving arms for en gaging the head of the valve springcom- A pression screw and with which arms are associated a screw member to engage the end of the valve stem to force the valve, independently of its tension spring solidly against its seat by a pressure which is ap plied to the spring compression screw head.

through the arms engaging therewith. Associated with the screw member is a trav-- eling nut, which controls the engagement of the arms with the head of the compression screw. 7

In the drawing, I have shown various arrangements of practical embodiments of a safety valve testing gag, as illustrative of the principles of my invention, and wherein 4 designates a valve, 5 a seat therefor, 6 a valve stem, 7 a valve spring, and 8 the compression screw member through which the desired tension is imposed upon the valve spring for the normal operation of the valve,*the stem of the valve working through a central opening 9 in the compres sion screw member 8. These parts may be of the usual or any well known convenient and desired construction, and in the structure and details thereof form no part of my present invention.

The gag device constituting my invention and in the form thereof disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2, comprises a crossmember 10 loosely through the center of which passes a set screw 11. Pivotally connected between ears 12 at the ends of the crossmember 10, are arms 13 having angle arm portions or tail pieces 14 extending to one side of the pivotal axis of the arms- 13, and toward eachother.

Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

Application filed May 7, 1918. Serial No. 233,184.

The arms 13 are provided with engaging hook portions 15 at their free ends arranged,- when in position for use, to engage the head of the compression screw 8. g It is customary to form the heads of valve spring, COIILPI'BS sion screw members 8 in the form of a hex nut, as indicated at 16 and the free ends or hook portions 15 of the gag levers 13 engage beneath the shoulder 17 of this hex nut head of the compression screw. Where the shoulder 17 is of inclined ortap'ering contour, asshown, the engaging portions of the hook ends 15 should be correspondingly shaped; The proximate ends of the angle arm extensions or tail pieces 14* of tlie levers 13 are formed with a bearing surface 18 to work against the inclined or tapering surface 19of a nut 20 longitudinally through which the screw 11' is tapped; This nut is held from turning when the screw 11 is turned. This may be accomplished in dif ferent ways; Inthe'formshown'in Fig; 1, thecross member 10 is provided with a. hex: shaped seat 2 1' in whichthenutQO is'received and seatedand thereby held against axial ro tative movement and caused to travel along the screw 11 whenthe l'atter'is turned, after it hasforced' thevalve' to its sea t',as will be presently more fully explained;

It is obvious that other means may be em:- ployedto'prevent the nut- 20': from rotating:

I For example, as shown'in Fig: 3", the cross member 22' may be provided with dowelpins 23' which are received within seats or socketsformed in the traveling nut: 2.4;

In the practical application! ofthe testing gag the hook members 15 of the levers 13- are engaged with the shoulder of the head of the valve spring compression screw. The

screw 11 is turned up through the nut" 20' until the end of thescrew 11 entering the central opening 9'in the'head of the com pression screw 8 engages the end of the valve stem 6 and forces the valve t firmly to its seat 5. By further turning of the screw 11 after the valve has become seated the nut 20 will be caused toitravel:alongthe'screw 11, the pressure now being applied to the head of the compression screw 8 through the em gagement therewith of the hook ends 15 0f the levers 13-. As the nut 20 travels'along screw 11., beingitself restrained from axial-1 rotation, the inclined surface 19 thereof en-- gagesthe surface -18='onthe ends of the: lever. tail pieces 14= thereby rockingsaid leversin a direction to cause the hooln ends 15 thereof to efficiently en'gage -and'ibe retain-ed in=locking relation against the shoulder of the'head of the compression screw 8.1 In: this manner; the: valve .4 isemaintaineclz upon.

its seat 1 during the pressure testof the: boiler or tank orother device-to IWlEEiQ'h tlIBF valve is appliedcluringthe pressure test of said; boiler; tank or device,- airclzindependeatly of thertension of; the; valve-1 spring, W'ifill out danger of imposing an undue tension upon said spring or imparting an undesirable set to the spring or deranging the tension adjustment thereof;

It will be seen that I provide an exceedingly simple, strong, sturdy, valve testing gag, which is simple to manufacture and assemble, which contains no complications, and which may be easily and readily applied when required for use and detached and removed, if desired, when the purpose thereof has been'accomplished, or sufliciently loosened: up without permanent removal to permit the normal operation of the valve.

Having now set forth: the objects and-nature of my invention and constructions enibodying the rinciples thereof, what I claim as new and useful and of my own invention and" desire to secure=byLetters Patent is z-- 1. In a safety valve testing gag, and in combination-witha valve and its stem, seat, tensionspring and compressionscrew, a cross member, levers pivotally connected to the ends of the cross memberand having hook endsto engage the head of said compression screw, said levers having angle arm tail'pieces, a screw passing loosely through said cross member to impinge against the end of the valve'stem to forc'ethe valve solidly to its seat, and a nut through which the ends of the cross-memberand having" hooke'nds to engage the head of said'com pression screw, arm tail pieces, a screw passing loosely through said cross member to impinge against the end" of the valve stem to force theva'lve-solidly to its seat,-and a nut through which: said screw isthreaded, said nuthaving an inclined surface to-be engaged by the angle armit'ail pieces ofthe said levers, and

a seat orsocket fOPl'fiGCl'dll said cross'member to receivesaid nut andhold the same against axial rotation: when said screw is turned.

' In: a safetyvalve testing gag, and in combination with v valve and: its stem, seat,

tension spring and compression screw, a cross member; levers pivotally connected to and having the ends of: the: cross member hook; ends=to engage thehead ofthe said compression screw, said levers h'avi 31g angle arm; tail pieces,- ascrew passing loosely through; said cross member: to:

said levers haying angle V impinge against the end': of: the valve stem? to force 819N312?85691iiillYitQlitSiSQfiibyfifldfd nut through which said screw is threaded, said nut having an inclined surface to be engaged by the angle arm tail pieces of the said levers, said nut having angular faces, and a correspondingly faced seat or socket formed in said cross member to receive said nut and hold the same against axial rotation when said screw is turned.

at. In a safety valve testing gag, a cross member, levers pivotally connected interme diate of their ends to the opposite ends of said cross members, said levers having tail pieces, on one side of their pivots, angularly deflected towards each other and provided with engaging surfaces at their extremities, the other ends of said levers having hook portions, a screw passing loosely through said cross member midway intermediate of said levers, a nut through which said screw is tapped, said nut having an inclined surface to cooperate with the engaging surfaces on said lever tail pieces, said nut having connection with said cross member to prevent axial rotation of the nut, in combination with a valve and its stem and compression nut, said screw adapted to impinge against the end of the valve stem and the hook portions of the said levers adapted to engage said compression nut.

5. In a safety valve testing gag, a cross member, levers pivotally connected intermediate of their ends to the opposite ends of said cross members, said levers having tail pieces on one side of their pivots, angularly deflected toward each other and provided with engaging surfaces at their extremities, the other ends of said levers having hook portions, a screw passing loosely through said cross member midway intermediate said levers, and a nut through which said screw is tapped, said nut having an inclined surface to cooperate with the engaging surfaces on said lever tail pieces, said nut having connection with said cross member to prevent axial rotation of the nut.

6. In a safety valve testing gag, a cross member, levers pivotally connected intermediate of-their ends to the opposite ends of said cross members, said levers having tail pieces on one side of their pivots deflected toward each other and provided withengaging surfaces at their extremities, the other ends of said levers having hook portions, a screw passing loosely through said cross member midway intermediate said levers, and a nut through which said screw is V tapped, said nut having an inclined surface to cooperate with the engaging surfaces on said lever tail pieces, said c ross member having a hex seat or socket, said nut being exteriorly shaped to conform to and to be received in said seat, and held thereby against axial rotation.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 2nd day of May, A. D. 1918. ERNEST B. CROCKER.

Copiee of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O. 

